AGENCIES / NEW DELHI
Supreme Court judge Justice Indu Malhotra today recused herself from hearing a batch of appeals and cross-appeals challenging a Bombay High Court verdict which held that mere possession of beef of animals slaughtered outside the state cannot invite criminal action.
A bench headed by Justice A M Sapre said that Justice Malhotra was recusing herself from the hearing as she had earlier appeared as a lawyer in the case. Now the petitions would be listed before an “appropriate bench” by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi.
The apex court, on August 17, 2016, had sought the response of the Maharashtra Govt on the plea of ‘Akhil Bharat Krishi Goseva Sangh’ against the high court order. Later, as many as 33 petitions were filed in the apex court by different individuals and organisations.The high court, on May 6, 2016, had said that the provisions of the Maharashtra Animal Preservation (Amendment) Act, which criminalised possession of beef, was an infringement on the right to privacy of citizens and unconstitutional. The high court had also upheld the ban on slaughter of bulls and bullocks in Maharashtra while striking down 2 sections of the state act which criminalised possession of beef.